Patrix mechanism of a glass-molding machine

ABSTRACT

The pressing plunger mechanism ( 1 ) has at least one pressing plunger ( 72 ) which in normal operation can be moved axially in a reciprocating manner together with a pressing plunger receiver ( 71 ) between an inoperative position and a pressing position. A piston rod ( 60; 61 ) of a piston ( 58; 59 ) is fastened to each pressing plunger receiver ( 71 ), which piston can be displaced in a cylinder ( 56; 57 ) of a pressing plunger holder ( 45; 46 ). A piston surface ( 74 ) facing away from the pressing plunger ( 72 ) is acted upon by a compressed fluid ( 83 ). The pressing plunger holder ( 45; 46 ) can be moved axially in a reciprocating manner by a first drive ( 9 ) and is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a threaded spindle ( 17 ). A nut ( 21 ) which can be rotationally driven by the first drive ( 9 ) is engaged with the threaded spindle ( 17 ) and is coupled ( 19 ) to a driven shaft ( 15 ) of an angular gear ( 14 ). An input shaft ( 13 ) of the angular gear ( 14 ) can be rotationally driven by an electric servo motor ( 10 ) of the first drive ( 9 ).

The invention relates to a pressing plunger mechanism in accordance withthe preamble of claim 1.

In the case of a known pressing plunger mechanism of this type (DE 30 40762 C2 of the applicant) the pressing plunger holders are driven by acrank gear (column 6, lines 22 and 23). This construction is expensiveand takes up a large amount of space in the glassware forming machine.

It is the object of the invention to simplify and to render more precisethe linear drive of the pressing plungers while taking up a small amountof space.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Compressed air inparticular is considered as the compressed fluid acting upon thepistons. In this way the pressing plunger can be constantly pretensionedin the direction of its pressing position. An elastic pad is thusprovided for the pressing position of the pressing plunger and preventsmechanical destruction of the pressing plunger and/or of its drive inthe pressing position. By means of the threaded spindle any desiredaxial position of the pressing plunger can be approached very preciselyand rapidly. These positions are, for example, the inoperative position,the pressing position and a loading position therebetween, which are allknown per se. The construction height of the pressing plunger mechanismcan be desirably reduced by the angular gear.

The features of claim 2 serve for controlled movement of the pressingplunger.

In accordance with claim 3 a reliable rotary drive for the nut isobtained with a low construction height.

The features of claim 4 serve to simplify the structure andconstruction.

In accordance with claim 5 undesired opening of the coupling rings canbe prevented in a simple manner.

By the features of claim 6 the axial position of the pressing plungercan be determined extremely precisely and by simple means. The maximumpenetration depth of the pressing plunger into the glass gob in thepre-mould is of particular interest. The size of the mass of the glassgob can be determined therefrom. The positional signals can be used toregulate the gob mass.

By the features of claim 7 the piston rod can be secured againstrotation.

The features of claim 8 serve to simplify the construction.

In accordance with claim 9 a basic axial adjustment of the pressingplunger can be carried out for adaptation to the glass vessels to beproduced on the glassware forming machine.

The second drive in accordance with claim 10 serves this purpose using aparticularly robust construction.

The same is true of the features of claim 11.

In accordance with claim 12 the basic axial adjustment of the pressingplungers achieved by the second drive can be fixed in a simple andeffective manner.

The features of claim 13 are particularly advantageous in structuralterms.

By means of the features of claim 14 extremely stable and preciselongitudinal guidance is provided both for the traverse and also for thefirst housing.

In accordance with claim 15 a supply of cooling air to the pressingplungers and a supply of compressed fluid to the pistons and cylindersof the pressing plunger holders is ensured in an extremely operationallyreliable and constructionally simple manner. These flowable media can besupplied in any manner to the supply pipes through the machine bed. Thefurther conveyance of these media from the end of the telescopic pipestakes place respectively in a suitable manner via a duct system.

In accordance with claim 16 the supply and telescopic pipes areprotected in a particular manner against mechanical damage and againsttipping with respect to each other.

These and further features and advantages of the invention are explainedin more detail hereinunder with the aid of the exemplified embodimentillustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an longitudinal cross-sectional view through a pressingplunger mechanism at line I-I in FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 shows the cross-sectional view at line II-II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional view at line III-III in FIG. 2 on anenlarged scale,

FIG. 4 shows the upper region of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 5 shows essentially the view at line V-V in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 shows the cross-sectional view at line VI-VI in FIG. 5 and

FIG. 7 shows the cross-sectional view at line VII-VII in FIG. 2 on anenlarged scale.

FIG. 1 shows a pressing plunger mechanism 1 of a glassware formingmachine 2, this can be, for example, a section of an I.S. glasswareforming machine. The glassware forming machine 2 operates in theillustrated exemplified embodiment in so-called double gob operation,wherein in each case two glass vessels are produced at the same time.

The pressing plunger mechanism 1 is inserted with a sealing gap 3 intoan orifice 4 in an upper plate 5 of the glassware forming machine 2. Inaccordance with FIG. 2 the pressing plunger mechanism 1 is screwed atthe bottom to a head plate 6 of a machine bed 7.

In accordance with FIG. 1 the pressing plunger mechanism 1 has a firsthousing 8 which supports a first drive 9. The first drive 9 has anelectric servo motor 10 with a horizontal longitudinal axis 11, which isconnected to an input shaft 13 of an angular gear 14 via a play-freeelastic coupling 12.

A driven shaft 15 of the angular gear 14 has a space 18 receiving a freeend 16 of a coaxial threaded spindle 17 with radial clearance allaround. The driven shaft 15 is connected in a non-rotatable manner to acup-shaped intermediate piece 19, the end of this intermediate piecewhich is uppermost in FIG. 1 being screwed to an outer flange 20 of anut 21. The nut 21 which can be rotationally driven by the first drive 9is engaged with the threaded spindle 17.

As shown more precisely by FIG. 4 an upper end 22 of the threadedspindle 17 is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a traverse 24 bymeans of a clamping set 23.

The traverse 24 is guided by means of guide bushings 25 and 26 in anon-rotatable but displaceable manner on mutually parallel guide rods 27and 28. The first housing 8 is also guided in a non-rotatable anddisplaceable manner via such guide bushings 29 and 30 on the guide rods27, 28.

The first housing 8 is surrounded at a spaced disposition by a secondhousing 31, the base 32 of which is fastened in accordance with FIG. 2to the head plate 6. The second housing 31 extends upwards into theaperture 4.

The first housing 8 has, at the bottom, a projection 34 provided with anouter thread 33. The projection 34 is provided with an aperture 35 whichis aligned with the space 18, into which aperture the free end 16 of thethreaded spindle 17 can pass. The projection 34 extends through the base32 and with its outer thread 33 engages with an inner thread 36 of atoothed ring 37. The toothed ring 37 is held in the base 32 in anaxially fixed but rotatable manner. The toothed ring 37 meshes with atoothed wheel 38 which is attached to a driven shaft 40 of a seconddrive 39. The second drive 39 has a worm gear 41, the input shaft 42 ofwhich can be manually rotated in a reciprocating manner via a connectionlinkage which is not shown and is known per se. Rotation of this typemeans that the first housing 8 undergoes, a basic height adjustment withrespect to the second housing 31, this height adjustment beingdetermined by the type of glass vessel to be respectively produced bythe glassware forming machine 2.

The projection 34 passes into a protective cap 43 which is fastened tothe underside of the base 32. Laterally next to the protective cap 43 aconnection block 44 for the supply of cooling air and of a compressedfluid is also fastened to the underside of the base 32, as will beexplained hereinunder.

From the traverse 24 extend pressing plunger holders 45 and 46 upwardsinto a respective support cylinder 47 and 48. Each support cylinder 47,48 is screwed at the bottom to a head plate 49 of the first housing 8and at the top to outlet bores 50 for used cooling air. A cover apron 51covering the upper portion with the outlet bores 50 serves on the onehand as a sound damper for the expelled waste air and on the other handprevents the accumulation of dirt. The support cylinders 47, 48 aresurrounded by a spectacle-like clamping device 52 which, as shown indetail in FIGS. 5 and 6, is screwed via a horizontal flange 53 to a headplate 54 of the second housing 31. When a central clamping screw 55 ofthe clamping device 52 is released, the support cylinders 47, 48together with their contents, the first housing 8 and the first drive 9are adjusted in height by the second drive 39 until the basic heightadjustment required for the respective glass vessel is achieved. Thenthe clamping screw 55 is tightened and thus fixes the basic heightadjustment. In accordance with FIG. 2 the second housing 31 is supportedfirmly against the machine on the head plate 6 and does not changeposition in terms of height.

Each pressing plunger holder 45, 46 has a cylinder 56 and 57 in which apiston 58 and 59 can be displaced in a sealed manner. From the piston58, 59 a piston rod 60 and 61 extends out of the cylinder 56, 57 on bothsides. A lower end 62 and 63 of the piston rods 60, 61 is constantlylocated below the traverse 24 and at that location supports ahorizontally extending collar 64 and 65. Each collar 64, 65 engages, bymeans of an axially parallel orifice 66, around an axially parallel pin67 and 68 of the pressing plunger holder 45, 46. In this way the pistonrods 60, 61 are prevented from rotating about their longitudinal axis69, 70.

At the top, each piston rod supports a pressing plunger receiver 71 withwhich a pressing plunger 72 which is coaxial to the piston rod 60, 61can be coupled by means of a longitudinally divided split ring 73. Asshown in FIG. 1 the closed split ring 73 is supported in the radialdirection by the associated support cylinder 47, 48. This is also truefor all axial operating and inoperative positions of the pressingplunger 72, wherein in FIG. 1 the uppermost end operating position ofthe pressing plunger 72 is shown. This uppermost end operating positionis rarely if ever reached by the pressing plunger 72 during operation.For this purpose a piston surface 74 facing away from the pressingplunger 72 is constantly acted upon by a compressed fluid, preferablycompressed air at 0.8 to 2.5 bar.

In each working cycle the first drive 9 ensures that the traverse 24 andwith it the pressing plunger holders 45, 46 always adopt a lowerinoperative position, a middle loading position and an upper pressingposition. If now a glass gob of excessively large mass is located in theclosed pre-mould (not shown), the pressing plunger 72 cannot reach itsuppermost end operating position shown in FIG. 1. The piston, e.g. 58,is then displaced with its piston rod 60 against the pressure of thecompressed fluid relative to the cylinder 56. In this way an effectivepressing force limitation is achieved which prevents damage to thepressing plunger mechanism 1. If, on the other hand, a glass gob ofexcessively small mass enters the pre-mould, the pressing plunger 72moves into its uppermost end operating position shown in FIG. 1.

If the pressing plunger 72 has to be changed, the pressing plungerholder 45, 46 can be moved upwards by the first drive 9 beyond theuppermost end operating position shown in FIG. 1 until the split ring 73protrudes upwards out of its support cylinder 47, 48. In this axialmounting position the split ring 73 can be opened and the pressingplunger 72 can be changed. The split ring 73 is then closed and moveddown into its support cylinder 47, 48.

These two states of excessively large or small glass masses of the glassgob are determined by displacement pick-ups 75 in accordance with FIG.2. The displacement pick-ups 75 are fastened to the first housing 8 inparallel with the associated piston rod 60, 61. An actuating element 76for the displacement pick-up 75 is screwed to the respective collar 64,65. In this way by means of the displacement pick-up 75 electricalsignals corresponding to the axial position of the associated pressingplunger 72 can be input into an evaluation circuit 77. Thus in a mannerwhich is known per se the mass of the glass gobs can be regulated by theevaluation circuit 77.

FIG. 2 also shows that the flange 53 of the clamping device 52 isfastened on the one hand in each case by means of a screw 78 to theupper end of the guide rods 27, 28 and on the other hand with screws 79to the head plate 54.

In accordance with FIG. 3 supply pipes 80 and 81 formed as one piecewith each other are fastened in parallel with the longitudinal axis 69(FIG. 1) to the base 32 of the second housing 31. The supply pipe 80 issupplied with cooling air for the pressing plunger 72 through theconnection block 44 in the direction of an arrow 82.

In a corresponding manner a compressed fluid, in particular compressedair, is supplied to the supply pipe 81 through the connection block 44in the direction of an arrow 83, in order to act upon the piston surface74 (FIG. 1). A telescopic pipe 84 and 85 fastened to the traverse 24passes into each supply pipe 80, 81 in a sealed manner. The upper end ofthe telescopic pipe 84 issues into a duct system which extends from thetraverse 24 through the hollow piston rod 60, 61 into the pressingplunger 72. The upper end of the telescopic pipe 85 issues into afurther duct system which leads through the traverse 24 into thecylinder 56, 57.

FIG. 4 shows the upper region of FIG. 1 on a larger scale forclarification.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show details of the formation of the head plate 54 and ofthe clamping device 52.

FIG. 7 clarifies details of the angular gear 14. The input shaft 13drives a first bevel wheel 86 which meshes with a second bevel wheel 87on the driven shaft 15. The intermediate piece 19 is connected in anon-rotatable manner to the upper end of the driven shaft 15 via afeather key 88 and is fixed in the axial direction on the driven shaft15 by means of a nut 89.

1. Pressing plunger mechanism (1) of a glassware forming machine (2),having at least one pressing plunger (72) which in normal operation canbe moved axially in a reciprocating manner together with a pressingplunger receiver (71) between an inoperative position and a pressingposition, wherein a piston rod (60; 61) of a piston (58; 59) is fastenedto each pressing plunger receiver (71), wherein each piston (58; 59) canbe displaced in a cylinder (56; 57) of a pressing plunger holder (45;46), wherein a piston surface (74) facing away from the pressing plunger(72) is acted upon by a compressed fluid (83), and wherein the pressingplunger holder (45; 46) can be moved axially in a reciprocating mannerby a first drive (9), characterized in that the pressing plunger holder(45; 46) is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a threaded spindle(17), that a nut (21) which can be rotationally driven by the firstdrive (9) is engaged with the threaded spindle (17), that the nut (21)is coupled (see 19) to a driven shaft (15) of an angular gear (14), andthat an input shaft (13) of the angular gear (14) can be rotationallydriven by an electric servo motor (10) of the first drive (9). 2.Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 1, characterized in thata play-free elastic coupling (12) is connected in between the electricservo motor (10) and the input shaft (13) of the angular gear (14). 3.Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized inthat the driven shaft (15) of the angular gear (14) is disposedcoaxially with the threaded spindle (17), and that the driven shaft (15)has a concentric space (18) which receives a free end (16) of thethreaded spindle (17) with radial clearance all around.
 4. Pressingplunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterizedin that when the pressing plunger mechanism (1) has a plurality ofpressing plungers (72) all pressing plunger holders (45, 46) arefastened to a common traverse (24), and that the traverse (24) isconnected in a non-rotatable manner to the threaded spindle (17). 5.Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4,characterized in that each pressing plunger (72) and its pressingplunger receiver (71) can be coupled to each other by a longitudinallydivided split ring (73), that the closed split ring (73) is supported inthe radial direction by a support cylinder (47; 48), that each supportcylinder (47; 48) is fastened to a first housing (8), and that theangular gear (14) and the electric servo motor (10) of the first drive(9) are also fastened to the first housing (8).
 6. Pressing plungermechanism as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that a displacementpick-up (75) is also fastened to the first housing (8) in parallel withthe piston rod (60; 61), that an actuating element (76) for thedisplacement pick-up (75) is fastened to the piston rod (60; 61), andthat by means of the displacement pick-up (75) electrical signalscorresponding to the axial position of the associated pressing plunger(72) can be input into an evaluation circuit (77).
 7. Pressing plungermechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in thata radially extending collar (64; 65) is fastened to each piston rod (60;61), and that the collar (64; 65) engages, by means of an axiallyparallel orifice (66), around an axially parallel pin (67) of thepressing plunger holder (45; 46).
 8. Pressing plunger mechanism asclaimed in claim 7, characterized in that the actuating element (76) forthe displacement pick-up (75) is fastened to the collar (64; 65). 9.Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8,characterized in that the first housing (8) can be adjusted by a seconddrive (39), which is supported firmly on the machine, in parallel with alongitudinal axis (69) of the at least one pressing plunger (72). 10.Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that,on its end facing away from the at least one pressing plunger (72), thefirst housing (8) has a projection (34) provided with an outer thread(33), that an inner thread (36) of an axially fixed toothed ring (37) ofthe second drive (39) is engaged with the outer thread (33), and that atoothed wheel (38) of the second drive (39) meshes with the toothed ring(37).
 11. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 10,characterized in that the toothed wheel (38) can be rotationally drivenin a reciprocating manner by a worm gear (41).
 12. Pressing plungermechanism as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in thatthe second drive (39) is mounted on a second housing (31) which is fixedon the machine, that the second housing (31) extends as far as the atleast one support cylinder (47; 48), and that each axial position of thefirst housing (8), which is adjusted by the second drive (39), can befixed by a clamping device (52) which is fastened to the second housing(31) and cooperates with the at least one support cylinder (47; 48). 13.Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 12, characterized in thatthe first housing (8) is disposed inside the second housing (31). 14.Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterizedin that two guide rods (27, 28), which are disposed at a lateral spaceddisposition from each other, are fastened to the second housing (31) inparallel with the longitudinal axis (69) of the at least one pressingplunger (72), that the traverse (24) can be displaced by means of guidebushings (25, 26) on the guide rods (27, 28), and that the first housing(8) can be displaced by means of guide bushings (29, 30) on the guiderods (27, 28).
 15. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one ofclaims 12 to 14, characterized in that in parallel with the longitudinalaxis (69) of the at least one pressing plunger (72) at least one supplypipe (80; 81) for pressing plunger cooling air (82) and for thecompressed fluid (83) is fastened to a region of the second housing (31)facing away from the at least one pressing plunger (72), and that atelescopic pipe (84; 85), which is fastened to the traverse (24), passesinto each supply pipe (80; 81) in a sealed manner.
 16. Pressing plungermechanism as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the at least onesupply pipe (80; 81) and the at least one telescopic pipe (84; 85) aredisposed between the guide rods (27; 28).